Southeastern PA Hiking: Android GPS Apps for Tracking Progress While Hiking

Updated February 17, 2015

I'll admit it, I'm biased. Ever since the evolution of smart phones, I've owned an Android. While I was late to upgrade from the old school flip phone I had, my first Android was a myTouch 3G Slide and I never looked back. Being the technology geek that I am, I like unlocking, rooting and installing my own custom ROM's to get rid of the bloatware cell phone companies such as AT&T, T-Mobile, etc. think you should have. You know, the apps that no one ever uses but you're forced to keep them on your phone because removal is impossible without rooting? I know, you can jailbreak an iPhone and basically get the same results but as I said, I'm biased. While I wouldn't say never, the chances of me ever owning an iPhone are very slim. Ok, kind of got off the beaten path there but that's just me and my techie talk. iPhone users, feel free to bash me if you wish!

Since I don't own an iPhone, this article will be slightly tainted because I don't know the types of apps that can be used for this purpose. If any iPhone users would like to fill me in, I'm all ears and can update this post (and title) accordingly. I'd like to let you know of a few apps that I use to track my progress as I'm hiking. The two basic functions I look for are distance and the amount of time it took me to go that distance or average speed. These same apps can also cover max speed, minimum speed, calories burned, elevation, total time of hike and moving time (total time minus stops for breaks and a quick snack, etc.). I don't fully trust all the statistics being posted, especially the calories burned and average speed which I'll explain later.

The first app and primary one that I use is called My Tracks which is free for all to use (if you have an Android). I've been using it for a long time for when I went fishing so I'd know what part of a specific river I already fished and to document the good and bad of each trip. I did stop using it for about 6 months or more because my phone was an old piece of...you get the picture. I'll never go back to two year contracts if I can help it. I now buy my phones outright and pay a monthly no-contract fee for service which saves me quite a bit of money per month over the long haul. Anyway, back to GPS apps!

Since I'm an Android user, I also use Google a lot too. Using My Tracks which can be integrated with Google Drive, it has a synchronization feature that will automatically upload your tracks in case you'd like to back your data up or import them into Google Earth. You can export the GPS files from My Tracks in four different formats (KMZ, GPX, CSV, and TCX). I usually export using KMZ or GPX if I choose to email the file to someone or myself. CSV files don't seem to work in Google Earth without some tweaking and my knowledge on TCX is limited so I'm not sure what function they'll serve. Note that if you export the files from My Tracks selecting KML, it seems they're backed up as KMZ even though it states KML. However, if you're looking for the KML files, they can easily be extracted from the KMZ files using WinZip or 7-Zip (instructions are below).

Using the export function, you can then import the same files into Google Earth which is pretty cool when you return to the same location several times. Below is a screenshot of seven different hikes I took in 2014, five of which were at Nockamixon State Park and two at Haycock Mountain.

Google has since disabled the function that allows for opening KMZ and KML files directly in Google Maps and instead uses a free online tool called the KML, KMZ Viewer with Drive. You have to give it permission to access your drive and once you do, it will locate the KML or KMZ files you have stored. From there, you can browse your Google Drive and open them within the viewer.

As of right now, you can view the files in "map" or "satellite" view but there's no setting for terrain, not yet at least. Hopefully this feature will be enabled for folks such as myself who use these files for hiking and want to see the topographical features. While not a big deal, it would also be nice to see this tool allow for a full screen view as well. As you can see, there's a lot of dead space on either side of the map.

**Please take note that recent reviews about My Tracks have noted difficulties using this app with the newest version of the Android operating system (Lollipop) due to an inability to obtain a GPS signal.**

My Tracks released an update to their app in December 2014 which seems to have resolved some of the issues with obtaining a GPS signal using Android Lollipop although there are still reports of it happening. Another new issue is for anyone who may use the Google Earth app (I don't since I have it installed on my computer) are reports that it's not playing the tracks like it used to. More updates to follow.

I upgraded my phone to Android Lollipop towards the end of January 2015 and gave My Tracks a test run to see what the results would be. As I had expected from reading the reviews, there was a notification telling me it was waiting for a GPS signal.

However, I noted that my GPS position was accurate and decided to proceed anyway to see what the results would be. It turns out that although the "waiting for GPS signal" remained for the entire duration of my test walk, it still recorded my track. It seems to me the problem isn't with obtaining a GPS signal but the app itself may not recognize that it has.

Update - February 17, 2015: I've since tested My Tracks two more times and each time, have not had any issues with it obtaining a GPS signal. I'll continue testing but it seems to be working for me.

A note to mention about My Tracks and likely any other GPS tracking app. Make sure you turn off the wireless on your phone before you start your adventure. Here's why:

Back to the techie talk for a moment. On top of already using the built in GPS, when wireless is enabled on a phone, it's constantly searching for the closest wireless signal which can lead to the above zig-zag pattern you're seeing. In turn, this creates results that are far from accurate and provide useless statistics when you're trying to track your progress. In the first picture, you can see where my supposed location jumped towards the local streets surrounding the park several times, likely to homes that had wireless routers. On this hike, I was using my old phone and mistakenly left the wireless enabled. When I finished my hike, the statistics showed that I had gone 8.75 miles when I know it was far less.

What really messed me up is that my app told me my top speed was 118MPH! I have yet to return to this park since there are others locally that are much larger so I never found out the true distance I hiked. By estimation, I would say it was about 3 miles at the most and it's impossible to walk (or even run) at the speed that was recorded. For perspective, the fastest human foot speed ever recorded was by Usain Bolt at 27.79MPH in a 20 meter stretch and 23.35MPH in the 100 meter dash. I don't pay much attention to the top speed statistics since I'm not convinced they're accurate.

Take note that this glitch may not happen with every phone. I've since bought a new one and have mistakenly left the wireless turned on and it did not happen. To be sure, most of the time I disable it until my hike is completed.

As with most of these types of apps, you can also add markers to your journey so you'll have a pictorial journal as well as the statistics from the adventure. What's cool about this function is, if you shoot a picture of a particular area, it will record the GPS coordinates in case you'd like to return to the same area again. The pictures you take integrate into the KMZ/KML files and can be imported into Google Earth.

Two other apps that I use which are made by the same developer are Map My Hike and Map My Fitness. I have both of the free versions installed on my phone but use them sparingly since I discovered that My Tracks would work fine as long as wireless is disabled. To top this off, you have to sign up for a membership which is free but it's also another username and password you have to remember.

In all, it's a pretty decent app. I've used it only once but when you log in through your phone or via their website, you can scope out the statistics including total distance, total duration, elevation, how long it took you to walk a mile, average pace per mile for the entire hike, calories burned, and a whole lot more if you want to dish out a few bucks for the paid app. Here's a screenshot from their website.

It's a bit tough to find but Map My Hike does have the ability to export in GPX or KML format and then be imported into Google Earth. Like my fishing expeditions, I like to know what part(s) of a park or trail I've already been to so I can explore a different section. Google Earth is especially effective for tracking what parts of a trail in a specific area you've already been to since the tracks can all be viewed at the same time.

A few other apps that I've used are EveryTrail and if you're in the US, you can also try US Topo Maps Free. EveryTrail is ok but you're limited to three adventures on the free app and from there, you have to pay for the full version to get the additional functionality and to view more adventures on your phone. As you might be able to imagine, I'm not one to pay for apps when there are free ones out there that provide me with enough data to be satisfied with the results. I'm not looking for perfection or trying to compete with my best time or distance, I just want to know on average how far I've gone and how long it took to go that distance.

US Topo Maps also has some functions that the others don't, namely the NWS Doppler radar which could come in handy if you're out in the middle of nowhere and notice there's bad weather on the way. Not that rain has ever scared me away from a hiking adventure but lightning sure will! If you want this function though, you'll have to pay for the pro version.

There are several more apps on Google Play that you can scope out and try to see which one suits you best. The above ones are what I've tried and I've always resorted back to using My Tracks since it's designed to integrate with Google best. Let me know what you use, your thoughts and any suggestions you may have, I'm all ears. If you use an iPhone, I'm curious to know what you use as well.

Extracting a KML file from a KMZ:

Before you do this, take note that both KMZ and KML files can be opened in Google Earth. I'm only showing you this process if you should need the KML file for any reason. If you have Google Earth installed, you probably won't need to do this unless you have a specific task in mind. If you'd like to know the difference between the two, click here for a decent explanation. Note that this article was written in 2011 so the part about opening in Google Maps no longer applies.

To start, you'll need to download and install an extraction tool like WinZip or 7-Zip (avoid downloading the beta versions). In this example, I'll be using 7-Zip since it's the extracting software I use on my computer. Save the KMZ file to your computer. It doesn't matter where you save it as long as you remember its location!

Once you install the extracting software and have saved the KMZ file to your computer, locate the KMZ file and right click on it. When you do, you'll see some menu options. Select 7-Zip, then click on "Extract to" with the file name next to it (this will be the name you gave it).

Right-click on the KMZ file, select 7-Zip, then click on "Extract to"

Once you click on the "Extract to" function, it'll extract the file to a new folder named the same as the KMZ as shown below. If you have pictures in your KMZ file, an additional folder will be created inside the extracted one that will contain them.

Inside the new folder, you'll find a KML file titled "doc". Take note that this is using My Tracks. I don't know if the KML file will be named something different if you download KMZ files from another app.